(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle protection device.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Damage of one stationary vehicle, such as a parked car, by opening of another car's door into the side of the first is an acknowledged problem, sometimes addressed by fitting of rubbing strips to car doors.
For instance in US Pat. No. 5,035,938 there is disclosed a kit which has a number of protective covers of a generally U-shaped cross section to be frictionally snapped about the decorative moulding, trim, or other component of an automobile, to protect the textured decorative trim components from an application of wax when the car is waxed, for protection and beautification.
Also in US Pat. No. 4,879,543 there is disclosed an apparatus for protecting the finish on the door of an automobile from damage caused by someone opening the door of an automobile parked in the adjoining parking space. The device includes a transparent housing wherein a plurality of arcuate protective strips are deployed therein. Said arcuate protective strips including a guide track or channel located along the intermediate section thereof, said arcuate protective strips also including T-shaped flanges substantially deployed along the opposite ends of each arcuate protective strip, whereby said guide track or channel and said T-shaped flanges allow said plurality of said arcuate protective strips to extend along the longitudinal portion of the door of the automobile. Also provided is a tensile retention band wherein said device may be selectively retracted into said transparent housing. Pivotally affixed hook members provide axial displacement of the device between the longitudinal portion of the car door and the marginal portion of the flanged end of the car door.
These proposals do not address the protection of other vulnerable parts of a car to damage in a carpark, which can be caused not only by the doors of other cars but also by push chairs, luggage and shopping moved between cars for instance.